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I’ve decided to build guitars #2 and #3 at the same time. Both full Koa - one for me and one for my daughter. I bent both sets today. The nicer set turned out really good. It was thicknessed to .090 and bent at 315. The second set was thicknessed to .110. It bent without cracking, but the tight bend at the upper bout is not perfectly round and kind of squared around the tight bend. Also, the grain lifted a bit in one place on the bend about the size of a dime. I’m pretty sure the squared bend will sand out smooth without running out of material. I think glue will fix the lifted grain. I may try laminating the sides on my next one.

I'm always amazed how thick people bend guitar sides at. I did cello sides at 1.5-1.8mm or so. Looking at the crazy tight curves on the less Paul outline, the.top of the cutaway will need support behind the ribs and they will.be in the 1mm range.

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Why be normal?